how hard is it to get the gt grille to fit my v6
02-15-2009, 11:29 PM
#1
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: texas
Posts: 131
how hard is it to get the gt grille to fit my v6
so ive been lookin all over the websites the last few days. and all the grilles for my v6 that have the stock honeycomb style with plastic and gt placed fog lights are over 200+!!! But i can go to http://directfordparts.com/partlocat...06&catalogid=2
and get the regular GT Grille for 102! A price i was looking to be around. So how hard is it to get this GT grille to fit my v6?
and get the regular GT Grille for 102! A price i was looking to be around. So how hard is it to get this GT grille to fit my v6?
02-16-2009, 12:01 AM
#2
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Boston MA (College)
Posts: 430
nearly impossible. My cousin tried fabricating it and altering it ect and it was a mess. Iv also heard from other people n the forum it just simply shouldnt be attempted. Get the GT bumper, thats what im in the process of doing!
02-16-2009, 08:20 AM
#3
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Colorado
Posts: 213
Several on this site and other sites have done this and it
turned out pretty well. There are several issues about
the size and shape unique to each grill
1. overall length is slightly different due to the different
curvature on each end piece, so they either "jam" the
GT grill into the opening with liquid soap as a lubricant or
make small relief cuts in the corners of the V6 grill opening
to merge the slightly different opening of the V6 bumper.
2. adjust for slightly different installed height and proper
operation of the hood latch.
3. before all of this, (should be #1), you have to cut off
the bottom mounting tabs on the GT grill because those
tabs do not line up with the V6 bumper slots.
4. Either live with the slight overhang on the bottom lip of
the GT grill on cut it or shave it to match the V6 profile.
5. secure the GT grill in the opening with screws or rivets.
All this for a "honeycomb" original look.
Is it worth it? By the way, there are plenty of GT grills out
there on forum classified and Craigslist and ebay with fogs
or without. I would,t pay more than $50 for one, but that's
just my cheap a$$!
Look around the forums for a DVD that is circulating with
instruction on this or also check youtube, there is suppose
to be a video there showing how to do it.
Hope this helps,
Bob
turned out pretty well. There are several issues about
the size and shape unique to each grill
1. overall length is slightly different due to the different
curvature on each end piece, so they either "jam" the
GT grill into the opening with liquid soap as a lubricant or
make small relief cuts in the corners of the V6 grill opening
to merge the slightly different opening of the V6 bumper.
2. adjust for slightly different installed height and proper
operation of the hood latch.
3. before all of this, (should be #1), you have to cut off
the bottom mounting tabs on the GT grill because those
tabs do not line up with the V6 bumper slots.
4. Either live with the slight overhang on the bottom lip of
the GT grill on cut it or shave it to match the V6 profile.
5. secure the GT grill in the opening with screws or rivets.
All this for a "honeycomb" original look.
Is it worth it? By the way, there are plenty of GT grills out
there on forum classified and Craigslist and ebay with fogs
or without. I would,t pay more than $50 for one, but that's
just my cheap a$$!
Look around the forums for a DVD that is circulating with
instruction on this or also check youtube, there is suppose
to be a video there showing how to do it.
Hope this helps,
Bob
02-16-2009, 08:38 AM
#4
Cut & Paste Expert
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NW Arkansas
Posts: 13,322
No way, jose.
Been there, tried that.
It sucks trying to get that damn grill to fit.
Unless you are looking for fog in the treetops.
Get the real deal thats designed for the V6.
They are available for under $200.
Been there, tried that.
It sucks trying to get that damn grill to fit.
Unless you are looking for fog in the treetops.
Get the real deal thats designed for the V6.
They are available for under $200.
Last edited by 157dB; 02-16-2009 at 10:25 AM.
02-16-2009, 08:40 AM
#5
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: texas
Posts: 131
Several on this site and other sites have done this and it
turned out pretty well. There are several issues about
the size and shape unique to each grill
1. overall length is slightly different due to the different
curvature on each end piece, so they either "jam" the
GT grill into the opening with liquid soap as a lubricant or
make small relief cuts in the corners of the V6 grill opening
to merge the slightly different opening of the V6 bumper.
2. adjust for slightly different installed height and proper
operation of the hood latch.
3. before all of this, (should be #1), you have to cut off
the bottom mounting tabs on the GT grill because those
tabs do not line up with the V6 bumper slots.
4. Either live with the slight overhang on the bottom lip of
the GT grill on cut it or shave it to match the V6 profile.
5. secure the GT grill in the opening with screws or rivets.
All this for a "honeycomb" original look.
Is it worth it? By the way, there are plenty of GT grills out
there on forum classified and Craigslist and ebay with fogs
or without. I would,t pay more than $50 for one, but that's
just my cheap a$$!
Look around the forums for a DVD that is circulating with
instruction on this or also check youtube, there is suppose
to be a video there showing how to do it.
Hope this helps,
Bob
turned out pretty well. There are several issues about
the size and shape unique to each grill
1. overall length is slightly different due to the different
curvature on each end piece, so they either "jam" the
GT grill into the opening with liquid soap as a lubricant or
make small relief cuts in the corners of the V6 grill opening
to merge the slightly different opening of the V6 bumper.
2. adjust for slightly different installed height and proper
operation of the hood latch.
3. before all of this, (should be #1), you have to cut off
the bottom mounting tabs on the GT grill because those
tabs do not line up with the V6 bumper slots.
4. Either live with the slight overhang on the bottom lip of
the GT grill on cut it or shave it to match the V6 profile.
5. secure the GT grill in the opening with screws or rivets.
All this for a "honeycomb" original look.
Is it worth it? By the way, there are plenty of GT grills out
there on forum classified and Craigslist and ebay with fogs
or without. I would,t pay more than $50 for one, but that's
just my cheap a$$!
Look around the forums for a DVD that is circulating with
instruction on this or also check youtube, there is suppose
to be a video there showing how to do it.
Hope this helps,
Bob
02-16-2009, 03:58 PM
#7
Cut & Paste Expert
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NW Arkansas
Posts: 13,322
OK, if you must......
Hope this helps
Sorry@$$ eBay sellers instructions below, NOT MINE!
You can try this but at your own risk!
GT Grille and Fog Light Conversion for the V6
________________________________________
I am not trying to advertise, but I need to address this issue. I have seen several people that have tried to jump on the GT Grille swap for the V6 including some Ford dealers. The GT Grille is taller and wider than the V6 as we all now. I have e-mailed the dealerships that I saw advertising this as though it was a direct swap. One did not replay and the other said, "you may need to switch the bumper cover, it is a different part number", end of replay. I e-mailed the guy and suggested that if that is what was needed that you should put that in your advertisement, I received no further reply, and no change was made in his advertisement. I would also like to say that Ford is not helpful when dealing with "parts swapers" as they call us. I also noticed on several forums, this one included that people are talking trash about the swap, or are saying that is can't be done. The GT grille is wider in the back than the V6 Grille. The taper of the sides on the V6 are greater than the GT…The GT is almost the same from front to back and the V6 is about a 1/2" smaller. The angle of the bumper cover side pillars is where the difficulty comes in for the swap. Saying all this, you can get the GT Grille to fit into the V6 bumper cover without modification to your bumper cover. I do sell a kit with all the parts, grille, lights, wiring harness, switch...the whole 9 yards, but you will have to find it if your are interested, I am just giving our experience with the grille swap here for those that have an interest in doing this to their Mustang. I wanted everyone to know what was entailed.
The GT Grille can be fit into the V6 bumper cover. You will need to unhook the bumper cover on both sides of the grille. Remove the V6 grille, starting at the top clips and working your way down. DO NOT DAMAGE THE RETAINER TABS on the bumper cover. Install your wiring harness and plug it into the fog lights. NOW HERE IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF THE WHOLE DEAL.
Remove the bottom clips on the GT Grille, they don't line up, and they don't reach back far enough to clip into the bumper cover so you don't need them. Remove them with a pair of tin snips (JUST THE BOTTOM CLIPS ONLY). Clip the drivers side Grille clips into the bumper cover. NOW HERE IS WHERE YOU NEED TO DO SOME WORK AND HAVE SOME PATIENCE...Clip the passenger side in. This will require some muscling, perhaps some assistance with a screw driver to line the slot and the grille clip. Do this carefully, but it can be done. Once both side clips are done, us a pair of pliers and position the retainer tabs on the bumper cover into position as much as possible to hold the grille in the bumper cover. Replace the bumper cover to the original position, clipping both sides back into place and replacing the retainer bolts on both sides of the grille. Then reinstall the engine compartment (fan shroud) cover with the original 6 plugs, in the top of the GT Grille and radiator cross member, these holes will line up or can be made to line up.
The final result is that the GT grille will sit slightly farther out on the bottom than the stock grille, so the bottom of the grille sits out over where the bumper cover and the grille meet. Because of the lines of the bottom of the grille, the bumper cover and the hood, it looks all pretty stock. I have shown my car to a Ford Parts Manager and Service Manager at my local dealership and they thought it looked good. There is a slight gap between the bottom of the grille and the top of the bumper cover, again because of the lines, it all looks stock. Unless you had your car sitting next to a GT and pointed out the difference, it is unlikely that anyone will notice. No one has noticed on my car.
The lights issue. You cannot just change the switch and hope everything will work. The GT and the V6 have a different wiring harness under the hood. The switch in the dash is a low power switch that seems to operate relays to power the fog lights and head lights...so you can't just tap into the switch. If you look in your owners manual you won't even find a fuse or relay for the headlights, only the fog lights and the high beams (but fog lights aren't supported in the V6 Fuse box). Because of the relay system you don't have "old school" on/off power at the head lights and the wiring there is insuficient (we think) to run both the head lights and fog lights anyway. So the best route is to wire a seperate harness that isolates the Fog lights in it's own circuit. Requires no splicing and if you do it right, no one even notices it under the hood. We use a 15 amp in-line fuse to protect your electrical system. The Fog Light bulbs are a new (of course, Ford has to switch things up all the time and use different plugs to keep things interesting) Sylvania #9145 or H10, and you can get the plug with pig tails, to plug right into the fog lights from your Ford Dealer to make the Fog Light end of your harness, if you are going to build it yourself. The motorcraft part number for the plug with pig tails is 1U2Z-14S411-FA and can be obtained through your Ford Dealer.
The bottom line is that this swap is possible, I know cause I have done it and now we have several customers that have done it. It looks great! But BEWARE OF THE PARTS GUY OR AFTERMARKET GUY ARE JUST TRYING TO THROW SOMETHING TOGETHER TO GET SOME SALES AND HAVEN'T DONE THEIR HOME WORK TO MAKE IT WORK RIGHT FOR YOU. You don't need to start paying through the nose, cutting up your nice new Mustang...shop around. You can find a lot of the parts listed here and there on the Internet. Or you can get most of the stuff I talked about here from your local Ford Dealership. But that is probably the most expensive place to buy it.
You can try this but at your own risk!
GT Grille and Fog Light Conversion for the V6
________________________________________
I am not trying to advertise, but I need to address this issue. I have seen several people that have tried to jump on the GT Grille swap for the V6 including some Ford dealers. The GT Grille is taller and wider than the V6 as we all now. I have e-mailed the dealerships that I saw advertising this as though it was a direct swap. One did not replay and the other said, "you may need to switch the bumper cover, it is a different part number", end of replay. I e-mailed the guy and suggested that if that is what was needed that you should put that in your advertisement, I received no further reply, and no change was made in his advertisement. I would also like to say that Ford is not helpful when dealing with "parts swapers" as they call us. I also noticed on several forums, this one included that people are talking trash about the swap, or are saying that is can't be done. The GT grille is wider in the back than the V6 Grille. The taper of the sides on the V6 are greater than the GT…The GT is almost the same from front to back and the V6 is about a 1/2" smaller. The angle of the bumper cover side pillars is where the difficulty comes in for the swap. Saying all this, you can get the GT Grille to fit into the V6 bumper cover without modification to your bumper cover. I do sell a kit with all the parts, grille, lights, wiring harness, switch...the whole 9 yards, but you will have to find it if your are interested, I am just giving our experience with the grille swap here for those that have an interest in doing this to their Mustang. I wanted everyone to know what was entailed.
The GT Grille can be fit into the V6 bumper cover. You will need to unhook the bumper cover on both sides of the grille. Remove the V6 grille, starting at the top clips and working your way down. DO NOT DAMAGE THE RETAINER TABS on the bumper cover. Install your wiring harness and plug it into the fog lights. NOW HERE IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF THE WHOLE DEAL.
Remove the bottom clips on the GT Grille, they don't line up, and they don't reach back far enough to clip into the bumper cover so you don't need them. Remove them with a pair of tin snips (JUST THE BOTTOM CLIPS ONLY). Clip the drivers side Grille clips into the bumper cover. NOW HERE IS WHERE YOU NEED TO DO SOME WORK AND HAVE SOME PATIENCE...Clip the passenger side in. This will require some muscling, perhaps some assistance with a screw driver to line the slot and the grille clip. Do this carefully, but it can be done. Once both side clips are done, us a pair of pliers and position the retainer tabs on the bumper cover into position as much as possible to hold the grille in the bumper cover. Replace the bumper cover to the original position, clipping both sides back into place and replacing the retainer bolts on both sides of the grille. Then reinstall the engine compartment (fan shroud) cover with the original 6 plugs, in the top of the GT Grille and radiator cross member, these holes will line up or can be made to line up.
The final result is that the GT grille will sit slightly farther out on the bottom than the stock grille, so the bottom of the grille sits out over where the bumper cover and the grille meet. Because of the lines of the bottom of the grille, the bumper cover and the hood, it looks all pretty stock. I have shown my car to a Ford Parts Manager and Service Manager at my local dealership and they thought it looked good. There is a slight gap between the bottom of the grille and the top of the bumper cover, again because of the lines, it all looks stock. Unless you had your car sitting next to a GT and pointed out the difference, it is unlikely that anyone will notice. No one has noticed on my car.
The lights issue. You cannot just change the switch and hope everything will work. The GT and the V6 have a different wiring harness under the hood. The switch in the dash is a low power switch that seems to operate relays to power the fog lights and head lights...so you can't just tap into the switch. If you look in your owners manual you won't even find a fuse or relay for the headlights, only the fog lights and the high beams (but fog lights aren't supported in the V6 Fuse box). Because of the relay system you don't have "old school" on/off power at the head lights and the wiring there is insuficient (we think) to run both the head lights and fog lights anyway. So the best route is to wire a seperate harness that isolates the Fog lights in it's own circuit. Requires no splicing and if you do it right, no one even notices it under the hood. We use a 15 amp in-line fuse to protect your electrical system. The Fog Light bulbs are a new (of course, Ford has to switch things up all the time and use different plugs to keep things interesting) Sylvania #9145 or H10, and you can get the plug with pig tails, to plug right into the fog lights from your Ford Dealer to make the Fog Light end of your harness, if you are going to build it yourself. The motorcraft part number for the plug with pig tails is 1U2Z-14S411-FA and can be obtained through your Ford Dealer.
The bottom line is that this swap is possible, I know cause I have done it and now we have several customers that have done it. It looks great! But BEWARE OF THE PARTS GUY OR AFTERMARKET GUY ARE JUST TRYING TO THROW SOMETHING TOGETHER TO GET SOME SALES AND HAVEN'T DONE THEIR HOME WORK TO MAKE IT WORK RIGHT FOR YOU. You don't need to start paying through the nose, cutting up your nice new Mustang...shop around. You can find a lot of the parts listed here and there on the Internet. Or you can get most of the stuff I talked about here from your local Ford Dealership. But that is probably the most expensive place to buy it.
Last edited by 157dB; 02-18-2009 at 04:54 PM.
02-16-2009, 05:54 PM
#8
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Colorado
Posts: 213
157,
WELL DONE!! Well done, indeed. I drove myself crazy
last year on this issue, and I can say after making my
own out of a V6 grill, which I regretfully sold on ebay,
I found this to be a gigantic POA, with too much time
and labor, just to get freakin honeycombs like the GT.
I almost bit on the T2 conversion on ebay, but I'm
a cheapa$$ and didn't see the value.
Surely some braintrust could mold one out of plastic,
that and repop the FRPP V6 bumper inserts everybody
and their brother is looking for. Sometimes Ford's marketing
people must smoke something funny before making these
Einstein decisions. Great writeup, 100% valid,
Bob
WELL DONE!! Well done, indeed. I drove myself crazy
last year on this issue, and I can say after making my
own out of a V6 grill, which I regretfully sold on ebay,
I found this to be a gigantic POA, with too much time
and labor, just to get freakin honeycombs like the GT.
I almost bit on the T2 conversion on ebay, but I'm
a cheapa$$ and didn't see the value.
Surely some braintrust could mold one out of plastic,
that and repop the FRPP V6 bumper inserts everybody
and their brother is looking for. Sometimes Ford's marketing
people must smoke something funny before making these
Einstein decisions. Great writeup, 100% valid,
Bob
02-16-2009, 06:06 PM
#9
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Land of Lincoln
Posts: 707
Shoot those example pics look really good.
Our dealer has the GT grills for $20...so I am going to grab one tomorrow and go to work and see what happens. Keeps me in the garage and away from the regular house chores...so $20 is well spent.
Our dealer has the GT grills for $20...so I am going to grab one tomorrow and go to work and see what happens. Keeps me in the garage and away from the regular house chores...so $20 is well spent.
02-16-2009, 09:23 PM
#10
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Ca
Posts: 2,226
with the harelip at the bottom they look like crap due o the overhang. but thrifty people have o try i guess. notice i didn't say cheap. do what you must but its a shame how some destroy cars. i mean really his is so 2005 back when i got my car we had no options bat now there are like 6 or more choices. and 157 shame on you for encouraging them i expected better from you!
have fun guys
have fun guys